Spring 2020 came and wiped away the everyday life that was familiar to us. This new, unfamiliar situation made some young people anxious, and for others, it only made old problems harder. Finding help was not easy for everyone, as it was so difficult to step out of one’s home, regardless of whether it was safe or unsafe, during the emergency conditions.
The Summer Club for young adults, which was a great hit last summer, is postponed from June to the first two weeks of August. We at the Youth Shelters and Helsinki and Uusimaa district want to provide fun activities to young adults after a challenging spring.
The reception centres operated by the Finnish Red Cross have prepared for the coronavirus. To this end, each centre has an action plan that follows the guidelines of the Finnish Immigration Service.
Huhtamaki, a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the-shelf packaging solutions, has announced a donation of EUR 0.5 million in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) COVID-19 appeal. The funds will be channeled via Finnish Red Cross to go towards boosting emergency relief efforts and improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable in Bangladesh, India, Serbia and Slovenia.
The Finnish Red Cross is launching extensive relief efforts to protect the health of those most vulnerable with the support of donors and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent history. It is not only a public health crisis but also a humanitarian crisis that will impact the lives, health and livelihoods of people around the world. In the Baltic Sea region, Red Cross National Societies support national authorities in preparing and responding to the pandemic.
The Red Cross is working worldwide to stop the coronavirus pandemic. Also in Europe, Red Cross volunteers play a major role in slowing down the spread of the disease and helping people in the emergency conditions.
The Red Cross has been monitoring the coronavirus situation and its development in Finland and abroad since the outbreak began. Our operations hinge on promoting the well-being of people and helping and taking those in need into consideration.
This year, the national week against racism coordinated by the Finnish Red Cross will be held from 16 to 22 March. The theme week aims to influence people’s attitudes to reduce racism in society.
The Red Cross encourages asylum seekers and young people with a residence permit to exercise. Exercise relieves stress in challenging life situations, and it offers a chance to get to know Finnish society and people.
This holiday season, donations made to the Good Holiday Spirit collection have brought food to the tables of a total of 28,000 low-income families with children. A survey targeted at the social and health care professionals who decide on the recipients of the vouchers shows that food shortage is not just a holiday period problem for low-income families, but an everyday one.
This year, the national week against racism coordinated by the Finnish Red Cross will be held from 16 to 22 March. The theme week aims to influence people’s attitudes to reduce racism in society.
The Red Cross encourages asylum seekers and young people with a residence permit to exercise. Exercise relieves stress in challenging life situations, and it offers a chance to get to know Finnish society and people.
This holiday season, donations made to the Good Holiday Spirit collection have brought food to the tables of a total of 28,000 low-income families with children. A survey targeted at the social and health care professionals who decide on the recipients of the vouchers shows that food shortage is not just a holiday period problem for low-income families, but an everyday one.
The year 2019 was full of aid work and humane deeds both at home and abroad. The following images are excerpts of what we have achieved together. Huge thanks to all volunteers, employees, supporters, partners and friends of the Red Cross!
September 28, 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the shipwreck of MS Estonia, which took the lives of 852 people. The disaster was a turning point to the psychosocial support organized by the Red Cross and it strengthened joined preparedness efforts between neighbouring Red Cross Societies.
Humanitarian crises have increased. Women and girls often shoulder a heavy burden in crises. In order for their special needs to be taken into consideration, women’s voices must be better heard and their role as active actors in humanitarian work must be acknowledged.
The festival area will feature a Red Cross volunteer on call as a support person who can be turned to in cases of harassment. The goal is to achieve zero-tolerance to sexual harassment.
The Finnish Red Cross has been providing lonely people wth volunteer friends for 60 years now. Every year, the services of volunteer friends are requested by tens of thousands of people suffering from loneliness.
Lapland’s tourist season also employs asylum seekers. In March, the cleaning service provider N-Clean had about ten men in the Lapland area employed to keep everything clean.
A large part of asylum seekers are people of prime working age whose first wish is to find employment, support themselves and their families and be independent of handouts from society. They have many kinds of training and skills but find it hard to gain entry to the Finnish labour market.
The Finnish Red Cross’s and the Canadian Red Cross’s joint cholera treatment unit admitted its first patients on Thursday. The unit is part of a field hospital that will operate in connection with the local Hospital Rural De Nhamatanda.
The Finnish Red Cross is going to work together with the Canadian Red Cross to establish a hospital in the disaster area left behind by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique. The hospital is going to be equipped to handle births and treat infectious diseases, for example.
The Finnish Red Cross is donating 100,000 euros from the Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of the Yemeni Civil War. Money and aid are not enough, however – only respecting the rules of war can turn the situation in Yemen for the better.
Lives have been saved every day since October 2017 at the field hospital in Bangladesh, managed by the Finnish Red Cross. Now, the hospital along with its equipment has been transferred to the local Red Crescent, which will continue producing health services together with other organisations.
The Finnish Red Cross is donating EUR 100,000 from its Disaster Relief Fund for humanitarian aid in Ethiopia. In addition to the acts of inter-communal violence that escalated in June, the people of Ethiopia suffer from malnutrition and lack of clean water in Kochere and in the Gedeo Zone.
The Finnish Red Cross is sending two mobile clinics and two aid workers to assist the Kenya Red Cross Society as the flood situation escalates. A large part of Kenya has suffered from exceptionally heavy rains and floods on the Tana River.
The Syrian conflict has been raging on for seven years, and it shows no sign of abating. However, people living in Syria are not losing their humanity.
In Syria, millions of people are in need of help due to the violence that has continued for nearly seven years. The International Red Cross is appealing to all the parties in this conflict to protect civilians.
The first Finnish Red Cross aid workers will be flying to Bangladesh tomorrow at the earliest. The Disaster Relief Fund has granted 500,000 euros to managing the refugee crisis.
More than 58 000 people suffering from the drought received food thanks to cooperation between the Finnish Red Cross and the Baphalali Swaziland Red Cross, financed by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid.
The Finnish Red Cross has received numerous questions about how best to help the afflicted people in Eastern Africa and Yemen. At the moment, the most efficient way to get help to those in need is via the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
